I really enjoyed the article “One Nation Under
Fire.” I am a contract archaeologist working at the San
Miguel Gate, monitoring the archaeological sites during the
construction of vehicle barriers. I thought that your article was
very true to the situation. So many people seem to underestimate
the issues along the border and on the reservation. The border is
truly a unique atmosphere, both politically and socially. I think
that the borderlands region that spans the Tohono O’odham
nation is an even more distinct environment due to its history, the
landscape and its geographic isolation. The isolation and openness
of the desert in this area is strongly juxtaposed by the feeling of
being watched constantly. We often see people on the south side of
the fence spying on us through binoculars from hilltops. At first
glance, it looks like an open empty space, but the more time you
spend there, the more you see signs of human activity (this
ironically follows the lines of archaeology as well, which is why
I’m really out there). I love the area, I love the desert,
and I love the truth of the situation.
Maren
Hopkins
Tucson, Arizona
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Border truths.
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